When 40 Qypers gathered after dark for an exclusive Art of Scare tour at The London Dungeon, thanks to Merlin Groups, we expected the evening to be a bit spookier than our average Qype event. What we didn’t expect was a night of screams and heart-thumping scares…

The Art of Scare took us on a tour of London’s gory history through the dungeons. Starting with plague-ridden surgeries, we dropped by torture chambers, Sweeney Todd’s barbershop and the abode of Jack the Ripper’s most unlucky victim amongst others. The skilled actors, fantastic sets and gloomy atmosphere meant that even the most hardened Qypers were a bit jumpy.

After nearly an hour of nerve-shattering spooky tales, scares and rides (we particularly loved the 5D Victorian seance ride, Vengeance), we retired for pizza and a much-needed drink.

Not only did we have the venue to ourselves, we also had the opportunity to chat with The London Dungeon’s Head of Performance afterwards. His name is Richard, and we’re sure that he’s not usually so blood-spattered:

Richard told us about the historical research undertaken for each section of the tour, as well as the rigorous auditioning process that the actors are put through. (Fun fact: Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame only lasted two days.) Seeing the dungeon with the lights on was also really interesting, and made some of us feel a little silly for being so scared.

After the event many Qypers were pleasantly surprised to find that The London Dungeon isn’t a slightly cheesy tourist destination, but something that all Londoners should try at least once. If they’re brave enough…

Thanks to Merlin Groups and The London Dungeon for having us!